


Dragons Make Everything Okay

by dexstarr



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Voldemort Wins, Angst, Christmas Angst, Community: sortinghatdrabs, Dragons, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-22 17:15:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11971950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dexstarr/pseuds/dexstarr
Summary: Charlie would put up with an eternity of listening to Celestina Warbeck if it meant that he got to be with his family again.But in a world where Voldemort won, that wasn't possible.





	Dragons Make Everything Okay

**Author's Note:**

> _Harry Potter_ is not mine and no profit is made from this work. Written for the LJ community [sortinghatdrabs](https://sortinghatdrabs.livejournal.com). Week 81: Narcissa/Charlie, for the prompt _"...May your Christmas be merry and bright..._ "

_“Oh, my poor heart, where has it gone?”_  
  
Charlie clapped his hands over his ears and tried to block out the guard’s pathetic attempt at singing a Christmas song.  
  
He used to love this time of year.  
  
Well, except for his mother’s insistence on listening to sappy songs on the wireless.  
  
But Charlie would put up with an eternity of listening to Celestina Warbeck if it meant that he got to be with his family again. If he got to have a snowball fight with Fred and George, or make snow angels with Ginny, or spell Percy inside a snowman.  
  
Now he hated this time of year.  
  
He hated how the guards tormented the prisoners by hanging mistletoe in their cells, and how they had put decorated Christmas trees everywhere. He knew the guards did it to remind each inmate of what they had lost by opposing Voldemort.  
  
_“…and now you’ve quite torn it apart…”_  
  
Those lyrics were particularly appropriate; Charlie’s heart had been ripped apart last year, when he had lost his entire family in a Death Eater attack. He still didn’t know why they had let him live when they had killed everyone else.  
  
Groaning, he rolled over on the narrow stone bunk, his hands still over his ears.  
  
“Oi! You!”  
  
Startled by the guard’s shout, Charlie jumped up and faced the front of his cell, and then he almost fell down when he saw Narcissa Malfoy standing outside the bars. For a moment her blonde hair and blue eyes reminded him of Fleur, of Bill, and of better days, but then she spoke and the illusion was dashed.  
  
“ _This_  is the one?” Her voice was cold and precise, with none of Fleur’s warm accent, and Charlie shivered.  
  
The guard bowed his head. “Yes, Madam.”  
  
“Is he the only one with experience?” Narcissa’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Charlie, examining him as if he were something she was about to buy, and his stomach churned nervously. “He looks rundown.”  
  
_Yes, because you’d look wonderful if you spent a year in prison,_  Charlie thought.  
  
“Yes, Madam. Although, if your dragon wants amusement, we have plenty of meat available,” the guard joked, waving his wand at the other cells.  
  
Narcissa ignored the guard and addressed Charlie for the first time. “Do you have experience with Hebridean Blacks?”  
  
Wondering what was going on, and why Narcissa Malfoy was asking him about dragons, of all things, Charlie said slowly, “Yes. They’re very territorial.”  
  
“I know,” she said shortly. “My husband recently acquired one to guard our estate, and we need an experienced keeper. Can you do it?”  
  
And even though Charlie knew he should say no — _knew_  that a Malfoy couldn’t be trusted — he said immediately, “Yes.”  
  


* * *

  
On Christmas Eve, when he is spooning spiked eggnog into the hatchling’s mouth, Charlie reflects that his holiday may not be bright and merry, but at least it is tolerable, now that he is back with his beloved dragons.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was originally written in December 2010 and was runner-up that week at [sortinghatdrabs](https://sortinghatdrabs.livejournal.com).
> 
> Come visit me on [tumblr!](http://galacticcoyote.tumblr.com/)


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